Baker began playing drums at age 15, and later took lessons from English jazz drummer Phil Seamen. In the 1960s he joined Blues Incorporated, where he met bassist Jack Bruce. The two clashed often, but would be rhythm section partners again in the Graham Bond Organisation and Cream, the latter of which Baker co-founded with Eric Clapton in 1966. Cream achieved worldwide success but lasted only until 1968, in part due to Baker's and Bruce's volatile relationship. After briefly working with Clapton in Blind Faith and leading Ginger Baker's Air Force, Baker spent several years in the 1970s living and recording in Africa, often with Fela Kuti, in pursuit of his long-time interest in African music. Among Baker's other collaborations are his work with Gary Moore, Masters of Reality, Public Image Ltd, Hawkwind, Atomic Rooster, Bill Laswell, jazz bassist Charlie Haden, jazz guitarist Bill Frisell and Ginger Baker's Energy.
Baker's drumming is regarded for its style, showmanship, and use of two bass drums instead of the conventional one. In his early days, he performed lengthy drum solos, most notably in the Cream song "Toad", one of the earliest recorded examples in rock music. Baker was an inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Cream, of the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 2008, and of the Classic Drummer Hall of Fame in 2016.
Early in the Morning
Ginger Baker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She begins to think she's grown,
And that's the kind of little girl
You can never find at home.
[Chorus:]
Come and see me early in the morning,
Just about the break of day.
Where my baby used to lay?
One drink of wine,
Two drinks of gin.
Pretty young got me
In the shape I'm in.
[Chorus]
I pass by the juke joint,
Look through the door.
She's doing the boogie-woogie
In the middle of the floor.
[Chorus]
When a girl reach the age of 18
She begins to think she's grown,
And that's the kind of little girl
You can never find at home.
[Chorus]
Ginger Baker's "Early In The Morning" is a blues song about a girl who has just turned 18 and feels like she's grown-up. This newfound independence draws her out of the house to search for something new, exciting, and beyond the reach of her parents. The first verse sets the scene and introduces the main character: a girl who thinks she's mature enough to leave home. The chorus repeats the same line twice, emphasizing that the singer wants the girl to come see him early in the morning. The second verse describes how alcohol has negatively affected the singer, highlighting the cost of trying to keep up with a young lover. Lastly, the final verse reinforces the idea that this girl can't be found at home, which implies her parents are trying to keep her there.
The song's chorus repeats a similar melody that's easy to remember, making it an earworm that sticks with the listener even after the song has ended. This song is often played at live shows and covers by other blues bands. A cover version of "Early in the Morning" by British blues band "The Yardbirds" was recorded in 1965, which brought this song to a broader audience. Baker's drumming on the track has also been widely praised by critics, with some citing it as one of the highlights of his recording career.
Line by Line Meaning
When a girl reach the age of 18
At 18, a girl believes she's matured
She begins to think she's grown,
She believes she's developed mentally
And that's the kind of little girl
This particular type of girl
You can never find at home.
Is never in the basic, traditional settings
Come and see me early in the morning,
Visit me when it's very early
Just about the break of day.
When dawn is about to break
Want to see me hug my pillow
Observe me embracing my pillow
Where my baby used to lay?
Where my significant other used to lie beside me?
One drink of wine,
After having one unit of wine,
Two drinks of gin.
Then having two more units of gin
Pretty young got me
She, a charming lady, drew me in
In the shape I'm in.
I'm feeling the way I do because of this.
I pass by the juke joint,
I walk past the music bar
Look through the door.
I peek through the entrance
She's doing the boogie-woogie
She's dancing in that wild, delightful way
In the middle of the floor.
Right in the center of the space
When a girl reach the age of 18
Again, once a girl turns 18,
She begins to think she's grown,
She assumes she has reached full maturity
And that's the kind of little girl
This specific kind of girl
You can never find at home.
Won't be found in simple, domestic situations
Come and see me early in the morning,
Stop by my place in the early hours
Just about the break of day.
As dawn is almost here
Want to see me hug my pillow
Watch me hold onto the fabric filled cushion
Where my baby used to lay?
Where my lover used to reside with me?
Lyrics © Spirit Music Group, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ERIC PATRICK CLAPTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dank81
For anyone wondering, the lineup here is:
Ginger Baker- Drums
Ken Craddock- Organ, Guitar, Vocals
Graham Bond- Organ, Saxophone, Vocals
Colin Gibson- Bass Guitar
Remi Kabaka- Percussion
Steve Gregory- Saxophone, Flute
Bud Beadle- Saxophone
Diane Stewart- Vocals (Graham Bond's wife)
Aliki Ashman- Vocals
@janul5105
Dęciaki i wokalistki super!💪💪💪
@janlevani8824
Didn’t know what to expect. I thought it was awesome! ❤
@LaptopLarry330
This song was very sophisticated and complex and artistic. This is music for adults. This music was very adventurous for its artistic risk-taking in its arrangement and performance by everyone in the band. Ginger Baker was really pushing the envelope with his music at this time, and with Graham Bond providing musical support, he was in very good hands, that would take him to the place he needed to be musically.
@PatrickTowers
im hip this was heavy shit,,,,,tru that zone troopers for sure you to in the know
@PatrickTowers
dig
@filtonkingswood
Wise words Larry. What Ginger and friends did here was beyond progressive. The acid test is that it has withstood the test of time-
@D.Z.A.-kp8lf
This is when music genres were merging 1969,1970.. it was experimental as music should be.. No boundaries No limits just pure imagination and the guts to do it
@totiolland
eu amo a fritura dessa música 🤩
@mikedavis4427
Love it!
Don't know how much time these musicians spent together arranging jamming and playing recording and so forth but it's wonderful.
I'm praying for the revolution in music that's coming when we'll all get back to the way it was back then. Things were happening so fast that by the late 70s everything sort of spun off the track and
Got derailed.
Time to get back on track with one kind of music that includes all GREAT musical incarnations and styles and I call this one kind of music SOUL!
IT'S Coming brothers and sisters and I'll be there. Ive been playing guitar my whole life and I've had this vision of SOUL music reincarnating soon.
It's happening now.
@Carbon8edmilk
It’s happening